Saturday, May 18, 2013

Immolation - Kingdom of Conspiracy

Aside from Bolt Thrower, there appears to be no death metal
band that is more devoid of criticism than the mighty Immolation. And that is completely appropriate. For over 20
years, the band has delivered consistently brutal records that are as heavy as
they are strange. “Kingdom of Conspiracy” marks the ninth full-length record
for the band, and is the logical continuation of the band’s sound.

“Kingdom of Conspiracy” has all of the hallmarks that put
Immolation on the map. The bizarre, dissonant riffing of Robert Vigna is
featured throughout every song, while Ross Dolan’s guttural, inhuman vocals
decry society and religion. Throughout all of this intensity is the technical, rhythm-intensive
drumming. While the drumming on every Immolation record is great, it is even
more evident on “Kingdom of Conspiracy”. The sheer mechanical accuracy of Steve
Shalaty’s footwork is impressive, and he effortlessly blasts his way through
the record. Perhaps the reason for this performance standing out is not because
it is any different from Immolation’s previous work, but because the drums are
loud in the mix. In fact, it is the most prominent instrument on the record;
however, it is worth mentioning that all claims of the drums ruining the record
are severely exaggerated. Yes, they definitely would benefit from being a bit
quieter, but they are nevertheless still impressive and enjoyable. One part of
“Kingdom of Conspiracy” that is actually different from prior records is in the
use of guitar solos. They were always Slayer-inspired (as well as filtered through Vigna's strange sense of melody), and showed up fairly
often, but never to the extent they do on this record. It seems as though ominous
leads and solos appear constantly, almost to the point where if Dolan isn’t
screaming, you can expect to hear one of Vigna’s great leads.

In addition to providing satisfyingly brutal tunes,
Immolation has also crafted some memorable parts. The beginning of closing
track “All That Awaits Us” is reminiscent of “Close to a World Below”, which
actually helps it stand out. The title track is another highlight, as is the
powerful “Indoctrinate”. With that said, it does no justice to these songs to call
them heavy, powerful, or brutal; they are simply death metal as done by
Immolation, which is an experience so great that you really need to hear it to
believe it. If you are familiar with the band already, expect nothing more than
an enjoyable addition to their legacy.